The Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Ghana Industries, Seth Twum Akwaboah, has called on government to review cost of data to businesses.
Speaking at an SME clinic, Mr. Akwaboah disclosed that it will be pertinent to the delivery of businesses amid the ongoing pandemic. Thus, businesses which are not able to afford and sustain cost of data in their operation end up losing.
As a result, he indicated that it will be prudent for government to take a relook at it and not leave it to the discretion of telecoms.
“For a typical small enterprise that wants to do business, it is going to consume a lot of data in putting the products out there in the e-market space. But then, if you want to do that it means that you must be willing to spend more money.
“If you don’t generate enough resources, it becomes very difficult to get into it and be part of it. What do we do to ensure that the cost of data comes down? And here, it is not just the telecoms; it is also government’s role that they have to play in terms of proper regulation; and then also investing in some of the areas.”
Seth Twum Akwaboah
Telecoms will benefit from proper regulations of data cost
The AGI boss also revealed that with the right infrastructure, the telco industry will also benefit. He explained that their cost of investment will potentially reduce when proper regulations are implemented.
“Because if they invest so much, they must recoup their investment through the data pricing. Therefore, all these have to be taken into account. I believe the government is doing a lot, but we can still look at it and see how we strategize. Because the thing is that, it is a competitive world”.
Information technology critical to GEA
On her part, the Executive Director of the Ghana Enterprises Agency, Kosi Yankey-Ayeh, revealed that the operations of her outfit will be reliant on Information Technology.
She indicated that technology plays a very critical support to the delivery of its support services for MSMEs.
“This agency’s goal is to really see how we can develop and coordinate the affairs of MSME’s in this nation. For years, a lot of the work of MSME’s has been done. And people are doing their things in their corners.”
Additionally, she stated that there is no concerted effort to coordinate and bring central support to the agency. This, according to her would have ensured her outfit deliver maximum and incremental development of these MSMEs.
“And the goal of the Ghana Enterprises Agency is to ensure that we are able to do that by bringing on board the right and needed support through technology, through business development, through support and through any other support that would be able to help them at this point in time.”
Mrs. Kosi Yankey-Ayeh
Parliament last year approved the Ghana Enterprises Agency Bill under a certificate of urgency.
